ROUSES_Fall2023_Magazine

ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT GULF COAST CONNECTION: St. Francisville, Louisiana, a place well-known for its natural beauty, was named in honor of St. Francis and his peaceful monks upon its founding in 1807. ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT ON GAME DAY: As the patron saint of animals, it’s fitting that you talk to your pets about St. Francis of Assisi on game day as you dress them in their black and-gold collars and pooch-sized jerseys.

St. Thomas Aquinas One of the most admired theologians and philosophers of his era, St. Thomas Aquinas was a 13th-century Dominican friar, lecturer and priest who revered Aristotle and pioneered the use of Greek philosophy that featured the power of reason to demonstrate that God and his universe could be understood by reason guided by faith. ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT GULF COAST CONNECTION: The patron saint of scholars and educational pursuits, St. Thomas Aquinas serves as the namesake for schools and institutions of higher learning across the Gulf South, from Saint Thomas Aquinas Regional Catholic High School in Hammond, Louisiana to the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church located on the grounds of Nicholls State University in Thibodaux. ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT ON GAME DAY: If you’re hoping to review statistics and numbers from previous games for greater clarity about what the Saints’ current gridiron matchup might hold, ask St. Thomas Aquinas for focus and wisdom.

St. Peter One of the 12 Apostles of Jesus Christ and the First Pope of the Catholic Church, St. Peter, also known as Peter the Apostle, is widely recognized for his depth of conviction, strength and the steadfastness of his faith. Originally a fisherman named Simon, he was given the name Peter by Jesus; the name comes from the ancient Greek word Petros, meaning “rock” — due to his rock-solid faith in Jesus Christ as the Messiah. ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT GULF COAST CONNECTION: St. Peter is the patron saint of netmakers, fishermen, shipwrights and bridge builders. Any people along the Gulf Coast who work within the seafood industry (or enjoy Gulf Coast seafood, for that matter) should hope St. Peter is watching over them and everyone who is gathering the sea’s abundance. ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT ON GAME DAY: If the Saints are locked in a tie, pray to St. Peter, also the patron saint of locksmiths, to break the tie.

St. Joan of Arc A point of French pride, embodiment of independent valor and early feminist, St. Joan of Arc believed she was acting under divine guidance from Archangel Michael when she led the French army to victory over the English at the Battle of Orléans in 1429. While she was neither a knight nor a trained soldier, when she mounted a horse for the first time, she was so self-possessed and natural that the Duke of Lorraine gifted it to her. ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT GULF COAST CONNECTION: If the triumphant golden statue of Joan of Arc rearing back on her horse, ready to ride headlong into battle, located in the Place de France outside New Orleans’ French Market isn’t connection enough, just wait until you see the Krewe de Jeanne d’Arc. Each year on January 6 — or Twelfth Night, the kickoff to carnival season — the Krewe de Jeanne d’Arc hosts a Medieval-style walking procession featuring costumes and music from 1400s France, jugglers, knights, stilt-walkers, giant puppets and handmade medieval throws to honor New Orleans’ unofficial patron saint. ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT ON GAME DAY: Even among the canonized, Joan of Arc remains lauded for her singular courage. If you’re concerned that the Saints might need a little boost of bravery on the field, a prayer to the heroic “Maid of New Orleans” might be in order.

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